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A bipartisan push to compel the Justice Department to release long-secret materials related to Jeffrey Epstein cleared a major hurdle Wednesday after House Speaker Mike Johnson had delayed a new Democrat’s swearing-in for seven weeks — a move that had stalled the effort.
The measure, known as the Epstein Files Transparency Act, secured its 218th and final signature when newly elected Rep. Adelita Grijalva (D-Ariz.) signed on shortly after taking the oath of office. Her signature activates a countdown to force a full House vote on the bill, which demands that the Justice Department release all Epstein-related documents within 30 days.
The discharge petition, led by Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) and Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), defies House GOP leadership, which has resisted bringing the legislation to the floor. Khanna said the bill is about restoring trust and transparency.
“This is about accountability,” Khanna said Wednesday. “The American people deserve to know what the government knows about Jeffrey Epstein and who was involved.”
All House Democrats and four Republicans — Massie, Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (Ga.), Nancy Mace (S.C.), and Lauren Boebert (Colo.) — signed the petition.
Grijalva, who filled the seat of her late father, Rep. Raúl Grijalva, dedicated her first official act to Epstein’s survivors. “It’s past time for Congress to restore its role as a check and balance on this administration and fight for the truth,” she said, referencing emails released earlier in the day linking Epstein’s communications to former President Donald Trump.
The newly unveiled documents include 2011 and 2019 emails in which Epstein mentioned Trump by name, writing that the then-businessman “spent hours” at his home and “knew about the girls.” The White House said Wednesday that the unnamed woman referenced was the late Virginia Giuffre, who never accused Trump of wrongdoing.
Speaker Johnson, who had delayed Grijalva’s swearing-in until this week, said late Wednesday that he would fast-track the bill. “We’re going to put that on the floor for a full vote next week,” Johnson told reporters.
The Epstein Files Transparency Act mandates the public release of all government records tied to Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell, including flight logs, financial documents, internal communications, and any materials concerning Epstein’s 2019 death in federal custody. It would also require disclosure of any records altered, destroyed, or concealed.
Johnson has previously opposed the measure, calling it “unnecessary” given the House Oversight Committee’s ongoing investigation. That panel has already released tens of thousands of pages of records and says more are forthcoming.
Still, Rep. Massie insisted the bipartisan pressure will prevail. “The American people have waited long enough,” he said. “We’re going to bring sunlight to one of the darkest scandals in modern history.”
The House is expected to vote on the measure next week, with Khanna predicting “40 to 50” Republicans could join Democrats in supporting it. If it passes, the bill faces an uncertain future in the Senate.
